The Habitat, under attack for Kamra’s show, gave Mumbai stand-up comics a stage, and street cred

On Tuesday, two days after workers of Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena ran amok inside The Habitat, two women dressed in black stood outside the popular performance venue, one of them with roses in her hand.

The club, housed in Mumbai’s UniContinental hotel, had drawn the ire of the Sena workers because a video shot there by comedian Kunal Kamra had mocked former deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, albeit without naming him.

Soon after the attack, The Habitat announced it was temporarily shutting down until it figures “out the best way to provide a platform for free expression without putting ourselves and our property in jeopardy”.

The women had turned up to express solidarity with the club, the receptionist at the UniContinental, told Scroll. She watched through the glass doors as the Mumbai police refused to allow them to enter the club and place the roses inside. “Later, when they had left, a man came and stood outside to show support,” the receptionist said.

On Wednesday, when Scroll visited the club, a guarded silence hung over the club and the hotel lobby. The signs of vandalism were evident: The Habitat’s name plate was smeared with black ink. At least 20 scheduled shows had been cancelled since the attack.

An experimental performance space that hosts open mics, music events, and poetry readings, The Habitat has been crucial to the growth of the stand-up comedy scene in Mumbai. “It has been the bedrock of our industry since the beginning,” said a talent agent, whose company handles events for 20 comics. Every comic of some standing in India has performed at least once in The Habitat, he said.

Not surprisingly, the club has received overwhelming support on social media from stand-up comics and other artists, many of whom cut their teeth here. “[This vandalism] breaks our heart,” stand-up comic Pavitra Shetty told Scroll. “This is our second home.”

‘Allowed us to grow’

When The Habitat was launched by hotelier Balraj Ghai in 2016, it stood out because it offered a space for newcomers. Unlike other clubs, “where you had to reach a certain level” to get a chance to perform, The Habit was open to new voices, said Shetty, who has been a stand-up comic for nine years.

While the seating capacity at the club ranged between 50 to 150, the comics were able to reach a wider audience on social media through their reels.

“They have a studio-like set-up where our acts could be recorded. This helped us in posting reels,” Shetty said. “And they always managed to pull crowds. We didn’t have to worry about promoting our show.”

Shetty performed at The Habitat several days in a month. She was scheduled to perform on March 27 along with several other comedians. “The tickets for the show were sold out,” she said. “But now we have to cancel and refund.”

Stand-up comedian and screenwriter Shreyas Manohar, who has performed at The Habitat for years, said no other club comes close to what it offers. “They allow us to grow as artists, sharpen our skills,” he said.

On a regular day at The Habitat, 30 comics performed across several shows. Each comic got an average of 15 minutes of stage time.

A performance on The Habitat stage, with its logo – an encircled silver letter H – in the backdrop was a stamp of acceptance. “If you see a comic against that backdrop you know they are credible,” said comedian Tarang Hardikar. “It helps newcomers boost their presence in the industry.”

Comedian Masoom Rajwani said the venue has given many artists the opportunity for “trial and error”.

“This is where we hone our skills every day,” said Rajwani, who has been in the industry for 10 years.

Though similar spaces exist in other cities – Delhi’s The Laugh Store, Hyderabad’s Comedy Theatre and Bengaluru’s Underground Comedy – the performers said the Mumbai club was in a league of its own. “Artists who now get thousands to attend their shows have started here,” the agent said.

Self-censorship

It is not the first time that political jokes made by artists have landed this particular venue in trouble. In February, it had to shut down for three weeks when a joke by Ranveer Allahabadia on India’s Got Latent led to several police complaints against the podcaster and frequent visits by police officials to the club.

Before this, the venue has been vandalised on three different occasions for jokes made by performing artists about Maratha ruler Shivaji and Hindu gods.

But never before has the venue been attacked while a show was running live – as it was on Sunday. Though Kamra’s 45-minute video, Naya Bharat, was shot at The Habitat several days before, the Shinde Sena workers came looking for the comic and ransacked the venue. Leading them was Sena member Rahool Kanal. He was arrested and is now out on bail.

The vandalism by Sena workers was followed by demolition of an illegal shed at the hotel by the city’s municipal corporation without any prior notice.

In a statement, the club management said, “We have never been involved in the content performed by any artist, but the recent events made us rethink about how we get blamed and targeted every time, almost like we are a proxy for the performer.”

The attack has also forced stand-up comics to rethink their creative decisions.

Hardikar, who has been performing for eight years, said he has begun to review his content. “I will try to make sure I get to know my audience beforehand, so that everyone is on board,” he said. “I am wary of someone getting offended.”

Several comedians now seek lawyers’ advice before making their content public. “We are careful of what we post online,” Hardikar added.

Shetty said that stand-up comics have also begun to discuss ways to protect themselves and the club from attacks. “Perhaps, we could blur the logo of The Habitat when we post content that is political,” she said. “But you never know what can offend people nowadays.”

Comic Bhavish Ailani took to Instagram to say that Kamra should have opted for a different venue for his show. “There is no need to put Mumbai’s premier comedy club in harm’s way without the consent of the other performers there,” Ailani posted. When Scroll contacted him, Ailani refused to comment further.

📰 Crime Today News is proudly sponsored by DRYFRUIT.CO – A Brand by eFabby Global LLC

Design & Developed by Yes Mom Hosting